Second Chances for Nathan Chapter 14, Part 3, Page 93
Nathan double-checked with Bob that it was okay with him to take care of Ginger while he and Allie were going to Brook Springs to get Emily. Bob assured him that Dusty would enjoy having his sister with him. With that taken care of, Nathan and Allie caught the stagecoach and took off. Emily was at the town stagecoach stop in Brook Springs just as they expected. "Nathan, my son, I'm so happy to see you! Allie, my sweet angel, I missed you!"
"Oma, I missed you too!" Allie gave her grandmother a big hug.
"Ma, you are a sight for sore eyes!" Nathan too gave his mother a big bear hug. "Hello Jack, good to see you." Nathan shook his hand. "So, we're going to have a few things to talk about I hear."
"Yes we are!" Jack said enthusiastically. "Hop in my car and we'll head to the farm."
On the way the men started to briefly talk about turning the farm over to Jack's care with Emily retiring. Emily focused instead on Allie and her new adventures in school. When they arrived, Ella greeted them and Allie ran up to her and gave her big hugs while Ella wagged her tail in circles and kissed Allie.
"Come in all of you," Emily invited.
"I'll be back with Carol and Nicholas later on, Emily." Jack suggested. "You talk with Nathan and Allie for now."
"Just come for dinner and it'll be a grand time, ya?" Emily asked.
After Jack left, they talked about Emily coming down to Hope Valley and began making plans. Allie was especially looking forward to Emily meeting all the other children and baking more German sweet goods. Emily smiled at her granddaughter reassuring her that the two of them would be cooking and baking together for sure, "My angel, I haven't cooked or baked much lately, but now I have an inkling, I will have the desire with you by my side, ya!"
"Great! Oma, I'm going outside to check on Berta and play with Ella." Allie said.
"That reminds me Nathan, we must remember to bring back Allie's bicycle on our next trip. She really enjoys it and rode it around with Karen all summer. Dee gave Allie hers, so she treasures it." Emily said. "There's not much I want except for the mahogany hutch you made for me son. I absolutely must keep that!"
"I'd be disappointed if you didn't," Nathan smiled. "Ma, I love working with wood and I'd be happy to build you anything you want."
"I do want to bring my rocking chair and my feather bed next time too. I also have some of my favorite cook ware that I brought here from Germany, along with a few precious treasured items." Emily said.
"We should start packing those items up and writing a list, so when I come back here to pick up your items, I'll know what they are." Nathan instructed. "Now, are you planning on leaving the rest for Jack and his family?"
"Ya, he won't be moving to the farmhouse right away, and we have to see tonight at dinner what he's bringing over," Emily said.
That afternoon they went through the house and little by little Emily looked at each room with Nathan as they reminisced about the many years they all lived there together. Looking at Colleen's room which Allie was sleeping in, Emily became teary-eyed knowing that she would never be back. "I need to keep a few things of Colleen's for Allie. She will always have mementos of her mother to treasure."
"Of course Ma, Allie will definitely appreciate them," Nathan said as he walked over to his room."You should take the quilt you made Colleen and give it to Allie to snuggle up in." Nathan suggested.
Looking around he thought of all the times he heard his Ma crying softly downstairs as he tried to go to sleep. That memory flooded him with all sorts of feelings that he had stored deep in his heart. He had felt so badly for his Ma always trying to make ends meet with Dad gone. How he had wanted to make things better for her and Colleen!
"Lots of memories here, ya?" Emily smiled as he put her arm around Nathan.
"Ma, I didn't realize how much I'm going to miss seeing this farm. I spent so many years of my life here, I can understand how hard it's going to be for you to leave." he said as he put his arm around her too and hugged her. "It brings back all kinds of memories. I know I have a few things I want to take with. My baseball and bat, my cowboy hat, and a few lead soldiers. Sounds silly, but they are my little memories."
Allie came in with Ella after awhile and looked at all of Oma's trinkets and knick-knacks. Emily watched her carefully and decided that come this Christmas, she would give Allie one special one that she always liked. It would be hers to keep!
"Allie, it's time to get some dinner ready. You want to help your Oma?" Emily smiled.
"Yes!" Allie said excitedly as she grabbed an apron.
Emily and Allie didn't have a lot to work with as Emily had pretty much used up the food she had, but she had saved some pork for jaeger schnitzel, salad, and thick crusty bread with cranberry kuchen for dessert.
When Jack and his family came over, they all sat together and enjoyed the delicious dinner while discussing the farm transfer. Jack said that they had their own furniture, but whatever Emily left, they would take care of. Barrett would stay, they would buy a few dairy cows and keep Berta, which made Emily relieved. The chickens would stay of course. A few more crops would be planted next spring, and then Jack would see how it went. If all went as planned, next summer they would invest in cattle. It was a big plan, but Jack was excited to give it a chance and felt good about it.
Tomorrow, after church, the Grants would head for Hope Valley and a new beginning.